The easiest thing to do right now would be to talk about the election. I’ve thought through several election-related posts, but the thing is, you guys are probably all electioned-out right now.

So, instead, I’ve decided that I will describe someone. Someone dear to me.

When you look at her, the first thing you see is strength. Her strong shoulders are evidence of a life of perseverance. Her slightly-pursed lips speak of determination. Her eyes burn with the fierceness of a woman who has fought – fought for herself and for her loved ones – over and over again.

At first, the strength is all you can see. Her presence is commanding – intimidating – and it is hard to see past it to the person behind it all.

But as your eyes adjust, you begin to see something else. You see beauty. Thick, dark, shimmering hair. Warm olive skin, work-worn but still soft. Shining brown-black eyes; a sharp, strong nose; full lips. Her naked face betrays her strength before her beauty, but it takes only a smidge of lipstick and a swipe of eyeliner to transform her from Warrior to Angel.

And what an angel! With her sweet, captivating smile, she is suddenly an innocent young girl in the prime of her life, not a 30-something mother carrying the burdens of a struggle-filled past. She is a lovely Persian princess, and it is impossible not to gravitate to something so beautiful. Impossible, indeed, not to stop and stare, to let your jaw drop just a little, before such a stunning transformation.

While her strength and beauty are the easiest things to note about her, perhaps her most significant aspect is her frailty. She is sweet and fragile, fearful and timid, and much of her strength and fierceness comes from fighting her own demons. Her heart is full of conflict, never knowing when to fight for herself and when to submit to those she loves.

She can think of a dozen strong and sassy ways to stand up for herself, to put others in their place and re-arm herself with the power that should be hers, but in the end, she’ll probably just keep silent, apologize quietly, or do whatever she can to keep others happy. She’s like a tamed Dragon – powerful and deadly, but without the will and sense of self needed to defy her captors and demand the freedom and respect that any Dragon should command.

Warrior, Angel, and Tamed Dragon – Imagine what amazingly fierce beauty we would see if all three were reconciled as they should be! Imagine the captivating, fierce, Warrior Princess, gentle to those whom she loved and who loved her, but unforgiving and deadly toward any who set themselves against her or refused to treat her with the honor that she deserved!

My greatest desire for her, nay, for us, as friends, is that I might one day see this Warrior Princess stand in all her glory. That I might play some part in her struggle to claim her rightful throne, and that I should have the privilege of beholding the person whom she was meant to be.

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2 Responses

Jenni, that’s just beautiful. I re-read it about a dozen times, because it just filled me with such awe. You made me cry, girl! Whomever this warrior princess is, she’s lucky to have a friend like you.